Jharkhand: UPA leaders submit memorandum to Governor, seek opinion on Soren's disqualification

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], September 1 (ANI): Amid the ongoing political turbulence in the state, a delegation of UPA leaders met with the Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais and gave a memorandum demanding to declare the opinion of the Election Commission regarding the decision on MLA membership of Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
"We request you to declare the opinion received (if any) from the Election Commission forthwith. Prompt action on Your Excellency's part will serve the cause of democracy and further delay will be against the Constitutional duties and values which Your Excellency's august office is expected to uphold", read the memorandum.
In the memorandum, it has been stated that a lot of news is being published in sections of media and represented in a sensational way.
"All these news items are being reported as being leaked from Your Excellency's Office and this is really unfortunate since the office of Governor being a constitutional office, the public has very high regard for the same and even a false rumour coming out of the office is taken at its face value to be correct" added the document.
UPA leaders also alleged that the collective spurting from the governor's office is affecting the administration work and creating a disturbance in the state.
"The purported selective leaks from Your Excellency's Office are creating a state of chaos, confusion and uncertainty which vitiates the administration and governance of the state," it added.
The memorandum comes in wake of the BJP which has sought the disqualification of Soren as an MLA accusing him of allocating a mining lease to himself while he held the portfolio of Mines Minister in 2021.
Earlier on Saturday, the coalition members held a meeting amid speculation about Hemant Soren's possible disqualification as an MLA from the state assembly for allegedly violating poll norms by extending a mining lease to himself.
In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, the ruling alliance has 30 MLAs of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), 18 MLAs of the Congress and one MLA of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
The Chief Minister's office released a statement on Thursday after speculation that the ECI has sent a report to the state Governor about Soren's disqualification.
It alleged that BJP leaders have themselves drafted the ECI report, "which is otherwise a sealed cover report".
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had tweeted that a letter from the ECI has reached the Raj Bhavan.
In February this year, the BJP submitted a memorandum to the state Governor seeking disqualification of Soren from the House under Section 9(A) of the Representation of People's Act.
The Governor had forwarded the BJP complaint to the ECI and the poll panel in May had issued a notice to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader. (ANI)